Churchill: An Arctic Summer

More than 3,000 beluga whales spend the summer in Churchill and our motorized rafts put us at eye level with them.

The Churchill area has plenty of walking trails that line the border of the northern boreal forest and southern tundra.

An on-board hydrophone allows travelers to listen to the songs of the belugas; you can even swim with them on an optional excursion.

An inukshuk, the traditional mark of the Inuit culture, was used as a marker for travel routes.

Churchill, Manitoba, has gained fame as the "Polar Bear Capital of the World." But in the summer, an equally impressive natural event occurs: some 3,500 beluga whales return to the estuary where the Churchill River flows into the Hudson Bay.

Belugas—which WWF works to protect as part of its Cetaceans Action Plan—are fascinating animals. They are the most vocal of all whales (earning the nickname "sea canaries"), they have the unique ability to turn their heads, and they can swim backwards.